DWR today conducted the first Phillips Station snow survey of the season. The manual survey recorded 24 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 9 inches, which is 91 percent of average for this location. Statewide, the snowpack is 108 percent of average for this date.
Today’s results show a boost from a powerful atmospheric river in November that broke several rainfall records in Northern California, plus a series of storms in late December that provided additional snowfall. It’s important that California see consistent storms going forward. We’ve seen strong December storm activity before with well above average snowpack in January of 2013 and 2022, only for the onset of dry conditions the rest of the winter leading to drought and quickly erasing early season snow totals.
The snowpack is on track for now, but anything could happen between now and April.
